Weather Plays Role In Recruiting Trips

COLLEGES - The Villages Gridiron Classic - The Beat

Barry Alvarez has no more recruiting trips scheduled. Mark Richt has two.

Such are the late-January differences of coaching in the Midwest and coaching in the South.

"We're done [recruiting], except for one guy," said Alvarez, who is co-coaching the North team for The Villages Gridiron Classic at noon Saturday.

"I made one last swing last week and got three commitments, but everything else we need to do, I can do from my hotel room here. I can monitor it all from here."

Alvarez, who has made the Wisconsin Badgers a factor almost every year in the Big Ten because of his program's recruiting, went from Detroit to Chicago to South Dakota to Philadelphia to New Jersey to lock up the last of his oral commitments.

Richt will make his final home visits tonight and Thursday night as the Georgia Bulldogs finalize their class in time for National Signing Day next Wednesday.

"I wanted it all done by Wednesday [today], but we couldn't quite get it worked out," said Richt, whose family drove to Orlando on Monday with the family of Bulldogs strength and conditioning coordinator Dave Van Halanger.

That Richt needed to organize home visits during a time when he's coaching in an all-star game points out the differences in Southern recruiting.

Most schools in the South fight all the way to signing day for players. Many northern and midwestern schools like to lock up players early, thereby avoiding official visits when there's a possibility of snow on campus.

"It's different in the South," Alvarez said. "I like to bring kids in for visits when we're on campus in December, where there's basketball and hockey going on and we're practicing for a bowl game.

"We don't end the semester until right before Christmas, so our students don't start school back until the third week of January. So we like to get the recruiting done by Christmas. Schools down here don't do that."

JUST 1 MORE VICTORY

Before he starts his professional football career, TE Bobby Blizzard wants to taste victory one more time. Even in an all-star game.

Blizzard, considered one of the top seniors at his position, played his final two seasons at North Carolina, where the Tar Heels won five games in that span and ended 2003 with a loss. Then, Blizzard went to the Blue-Gray game, where his South team got beat.

He'll line up Saturday for the South.

"Man, it's been a long time since I've won a game," said Blizzard, who caught 20 passes for one touchdown in 2003. "I just want to have that feeling again."

Blizzard made it through a tough first day of practice Monday when he was the only tight end in town to work out. That meant he had to practice almost every play. Key word: almost.

"They had to get some receivers in there to play tight end a couple times to give me a break," he said.

"But now Jason's here [Marshall's Jason Rader], so I'm straight. It was a good day today."

LATE REPLACEMENTS

Two North squad members went home Tuesday after previous injuries recurred, Gridiron spokesman Joe Galbraith said. Tennessee OG Anthony Herrera and Buffalo S Mark Graham removed themselves from the roster late Monday after going through one practice.

Hudson was a quasi-linebacker in the Sun Devils' 4-2-5 defensive scheme.

THE OTHER VOTING BOOTH

When NFL Europe Coach Jack Bicknell left his home in New Hampshire for Orlando, it was 18 degrees below zero. But Bicknell, who is assisting Pete Kuharchek in coaching the South team, did not fill out an absentee ballot for the New Hampshire primary before leaving.

"No, I'm on the other side [the Republicans']," he said. "I'm a Bush guy.